Working as a writer for the past twenty years, the thought has often entered my mind to try to write a children's or young adult book. With this in mind, I frequently read well-known young adult and children's authors to get a feel for that type of writing. I believe that one of the best ways a person can learn to be a good writer is to read the work of good writers. This has been extremely important for my writing career.
There are many fine writers in these areas of writing, but I think that my favorite is Lloyd Alexander. If I ever do write a children's or young adult book, it would be greatly influenced by Alexander's writing.
Probably my favorite book that he has written is "Time Cat." This is a book about a young boy whose cat decides to speak to him one day. Gareth the cat and the boy then embark on a series of historical adventures because it turns out that Gareth is a time travelling cat.
My favorite adventure the two friends embark on is when they travel back in time and meet St Patrick during the time Patrick was in Ireland before his missionary days.
"Time Cat" is well-written, and I am sure that most all young people would enjoy reading this book. Lloyd Alexander's books "The Town Cats" and "The Cat Who Wished To Be a Man" are also good.
By the way, two other authors whose works for young people I enjoy are Gary Paulsen and Daniel Pinkwater.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Monday, September 28, 2015
Verses For the Week -- Verses From James
James 1:27 -- "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
James 2:26 -- "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
James 4:17 -- "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.'
Friday, September 25, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- John 2:1-12
Hello, and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Sermon. It is good to be able to post the sermon this week. I pray that everyone is doing well.
It has been a wild week this week. On Friday night, a tornado came within one-half mile of my home. The winds were very strong, and one of my pine trees blew over just missing the house. I thank the Lord that the house was not damaged. There were people whose homes were entirely destroyed. The tornado also hit an RV park and destroyed several RVs. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.
Work has gone fairly well this week. I am thankful to the Lord for my job. I am also thankful that I was able to get a lot of work done on the book this last week. All is progressing well on that front.
In prayer this week, let us continue to pray for those affected by the fires in the American West. Several of the fires have been contained, but many people have lost their homes. Let us also pray for peace in this world. Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan need our prayers. Let us pray that the message of Jesus' love will reach the nations of Sudan, Morocco, Mali and Tanzania.
For the past few weeks, we have been in a study of how the divinity of Jesus is presented in the Gospel of John. John's Gospel is unique in that its focus is on emphasizing Jesus' deity in a greater way than the other three Gospels. One way that John does this is by recording the eight "I Am" statements of Jesus. Last week we finished our study of these sayings.
Another way that John demonstrates the deity of Jesus is by recording seven signs that point to Jesus as God come in the flesh. For the next seven weeks, we will focus on these important signs as presented by John.
The first sign that John points to is the miracle that Jesus performed during the wedding feast in Cana as recorded in John 2. Jesus mother and His disciples had been invited to a wedding in the town of Cana which is not too far from Capernaum. During the course of the week long wedding feast, the host ran out of wine. In the culture of that day, to run out of wine during the wedding feast would have been a major social embarrassment.
Some scholars believe that Mary had something to do with being in charge of the wedding since she came to her son and told Him that the wine had run out. Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come."
Mary then instructed the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do. Jesus told the servants to fill the water pots used for purification with water. He then told them to draw out some water from the pots and take it to the steward.
When the steward tasted the sample, it had been changed into the finest tasting wine. The steward wanted to know why the best wine had been saved for last instead of being served right away.
John 2:11 states, "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him."
So, what does this miracle have to teach us today. First of all, let us look into the two controversies surrounding this passage. To begin with, some have remarked that Jesus spoke unkindly and harshly to His mother. This is not the case at all. In the original languages, this form of address is not nasty or disrespectful in any way. Jesus realized that His mother expected Him to perform a miracle. Jesus didn't really want to perform a miracle in this way at this time because I don't think that He was quite ready to display His power. However, out of respect for His mother who was associated with the wedding, Jesus performed the miracle.
Now for the other controversy. Some more fundamentalist Christians such as the ones I grew up with will say that Jesus did not really turn the water into wine, He just turned it into grape juice. They say this because they believe that the Bible is opposed to alcohol, so Jesus could not have made alcoholic wine.
I do not think that this is the case. The Bible does not oppose drinking, but it does say that it is a sin to be drunk. The steward in this miracle account was able to tell that this was excellent wine. He would have known the difference between wine and grape juice.
Now, let me say this. Drinking can easily get out of control and lead you down a path that you do not want to go down. I do not drink and I never will. Before my Dad came to know Jesus, he was a heavy drinker. It took a toll on him and his relationships. After my Dad came to know Jesus, he never drank again. He was totally delivered.
There is no other substance that I know of that has ruined more lives than alcohol. I truly believe that if people would not even get started on drinking the stuff, they would be much better off.
With those two controversies laid aside, let us get into the heart of what this account really is all about. This sign recorded by John demonstrates the divinity of Jesus Christ in two ways.
First of all, let us look at the significance of the water pots used for purification. These pots were found in every Jewish home. The water in the pots was used for ceremonial washing of dishes and the hands before eating.
When Jesus turned the water in these pots into wine it signified something of great spiritual significance. At the Last Supper, Jesus said that the wine signified His blood that was shed to redeem us from our sin. By turning the water of purification into wine, Jesus was signifying that His shed blood on the cross was the new means to bring purification to the soul.
This world can only be purified from sin and redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross. His precious blood was shed to bring us life and to remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. Though are sins be as scarlet, we can be white as snow because of the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.
Only God come in human flesh could redeem us. Jesus was both just and the justifier. He was the only one who could live a perfect, holy and sinless life. Only God could provide atonement and redemption.
The other way that this miracle demonstrates the divinity of Jesus is by the fact that this miracle demonstrates the power of the Lord over creation. Only God has the power to change one thing into another. Only the Lord God has the power to create. Through this act of transformation, Jesus clearly demonstrated who He was. This miracle caused His disciples to really believe the Jesus was who He claimed to be.
When we see what Jesus has done, we must decide if He is who He claimed to be. We must decide if we will trust in Him to forgive us and save us from our sin. If you have not placed your faith in the God-man Jesus Christ, I hope that you will do so today.
Next week, we will continue our series from John. On Monday, I will post the verses. On Wednesday, I will try to have a review. May God bless you all. Amen.
It has been a wild week this week. On Friday night, a tornado came within one-half mile of my home. The winds were very strong, and one of my pine trees blew over just missing the house. I thank the Lord that the house was not damaged. There were people whose homes were entirely destroyed. The tornado also hit an RV park and destroyed several RVs. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.
Work has gone fairly well this week. I am thankful to the Lord for my job. I am also thankful that I was able to get a lot of work done on the book this last week. All is progressing well on that front.
In prayer this week, let us continue to pray for those affected by the fires in the American West. Several of the fires have been contained, but many people have lost their homes. Let us also pray for peace in this world. Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan need our prayers. Let us pray that the message of Jesus' love will reach the nations of Sudan, Morocco, Mali and Tanzania.
For the past few weeks, we have been in a study of how the divinity of Jesus is presented in the Gospel of John. John's Gospel is unique in that its focus is on emphasizing Jesus' deity in a greater way than the other three Gospels. One way that John does this is by recording the eight "I Am" statements of Jesus. Last week we finished our study of these sayings.
Another way that John demonstrates the deity of Jesus is by recording seven signs that point to Jesus as God come in the flesh. For the next seven weeks, we will focus on these important signs as presented by John.
The first sign that John points to is the miracle that Jesus performed during the wedding feast in Cana as recorded in John 2. Jesus mother and His disciples had been invited to a wedding in the town of Cana which is not too far from Capernaum. During the course of the week long wedding feast, the host ran out of wine. In the culture of that day, to run out of wine during the wedding feast would have been a major social embarrassment.
Some scholars believe that Mary had something to do with being in charge of the wedding since she came to her son and told Him that the wine had run out. Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come."
Mary then instructed the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do. Jesus told the servants to fill the water pots used for purification with water. He then told them to draw out some water from the pots and take it to the steward.
When the steward tasted the sample, it had been changed into the finest tasting wine. The steward wanted to know why the best wine had been saved for last instead of being served right away.
John 2:11 states, "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him."
So, what does this miracle have to teach us today. First of all, let us look into the two controversies surrounding this passage. To begin with, some have remarked that Jesus spoke unkindly and harshly to His mother. This is not the case at all. In the original languages, this form of address is not nasty or disrespectful in any way. Jesus realized that His mother expected Him to perform a miracle. Jesus didn't really want to perform a miracle in this way at this time because I don't think that He was quite ready to display His power. However, out of respect for His mother who was associated with the wedding, Jesus performed the miracle.
Now for the other controversy. Some more fundamentalist Christians such as the ones I grew up with will say that Jesus did not really turn the water into wine, He just turned it into grape juice. They say this because they believe that the Bible is opposed to alcohol, so Jesus could not have made alcoholic wine.
I do not think that this is the case. The Bible does not oppose drinking, but it does say that it is a sin to be drunk. The steward in this miracle account was able to tell that this was excellent wine. He would have known the difference between wine and grape juice.
Now, let me say this. Drinking can easily get out of control and lead you down a path that you do not want to go down. I do not drink and I never will. Before my Dad came to know Jesus, he was a heavy drinker. It took a toll on him and his relationships. After my Dad came to know Jesus, he never drank again. He was totally delivered.
There is no other substance that I know of that has ruined more lives than alcohol. I truly believe that if people would not even get started on drinking the stuff, they would be much better off.
With those two controversies laid aside, let us get into the heart of what this account really is all about. This sign recorded by John demonstrates the divinity of Jesus Christ in two ways.
First of all, let us look at the significance of the water pots used for purification. These pots were found in every Jewish home. The water in the pots was used for ceremonial washing of dishes and the hands before eating.
When Jesus turned the water in these pots into wine it signified something of great spiritual significance. At the Last Supper, Jesus said that the wine signified His blood that was shed to redeem us from our sin. By turning the water of purification into wine, Jesus was signifying that His shed blood on the cross was the new means to bring purification to the soul.
This world can only be purified from sin and redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross. His precious blood was shed to bring us life and to remove our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. Though are sins be as scarlet, we can be white as snow because of the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.
Only God come in human flesh could redeem us. Jesus was both just and the justifier. He was the only one who could live a perfect, holy and sinless life. Only God could provide atonement and redemption.
The other way that this miracle demonstrates the divinity of Jesus is by the fact that this miracle demonstrates the power of the Lord over creation. Only God has the power to change one thing into another. Only the Lord God has the power to create. Through this act of transformation, Jesus clearly demonstrated who He was. This miracle caused His disciples to really believe the Jesus was who He claimed to be.
When we see what Jesus has done, we must decide if He is who He claimed to be. We must decide if we will trust in Him to forgive us and save us from our sin. If you have not placed your faith in the God-man Jesus Christ, I hope that you will do so today.
Next week, we will continue our series from John. On Monday, I will post the verses. On Wednesday, I will try to have a review. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Book Review -- A Dog's Life
The book that I am reviewing today was written several years ago, but it is still available. "A Dog's Life" written by Peter Mayle is the story of the author's dog Boy. The story is told from Boy's perspective, and the dog recounts his days as a pup, his time with his first owners, and his days with the Mayle's.
This book is very funny, and I think it is one of Peter Mayle's best books. Accompanying the story are several humorous drawings provided by Edward Koren.
If you are looking for a book that is just fun to read and will let you laugh a little and forget the problems of the day, this book is for you.
Just to add, Peter Mayle is one of my favorite authors. His books about living in Provence are great especially the first one "A Year in Provence". I believe that the author tells about Boy coming to live with him in his book "Toujours Provence." In addition to these books, Mayle has written several novels including "Chasing Cezanne," "Hotel Pastis," "A Good Year," and "The Vintage Caper." They all make for enjoyable reading.
A Year in Provence has been made into a mini-series for British television. John Thaw starred as Peter Mayle. A lot of people didn't like the series, but I enjoyed it and would recommend it.
This book is very funny, and I think it is one of Peter Mayle's best books. Accompanying the story are several humorous drawings provided by Edward Koren.
If you are looking for a book that is just fun to read and will let you laugh a little and forget the problems of the day, this book is for you.
Just to add, Peter Mayle is one of my favorite authors. His books about living in Provence are great especially the first one "A Year in Provence". I believe that the author tells about Boy coming to live with him in his book "Toujours Provence." In addition to these books, Mayle has written several novels including "Chasing Cezanne," "Hotel Pastis," "A Good Year," and "The Vintage Caper." They all make for enjoyable reading.
A Year in Provence has been made into a mini-series for British television. John Thaw starred as Peter Mayle. A lot of people didn't like the series, but I enjoyed it and would recommend it.
Monday, September 21, 2015
Verses For the Week
Hebrews 13:8 -- "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Hebrews 13:16 -- "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
Hebrews 13:16 -- "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
Friday, September 18, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- I Am the True Vine
Welcome to another posting of the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon this week.
I made quite a bit of progress this week on the book that I am currently working on. I am right on target to have it ready for publication in late Spring of 2016. The job is still having its ups and downs.
I would like to ask those of you who read the blog to please pray for me about a couple of things. First off, I have had a problem with the muscles in my legs since my early 20's. For the last couple of days, the pain in my legs has been intense. Please pray that this pain will abate. Also, we are expecting some very bad storms in my part of the country today. Please pray that these do not materialize.
As you are in prayer this week, please pray for the people affected by the wildfires in California. This is a terrible situation. Also, the earthquake in Chile has proven to be quite damaging. Let us pray for those folks as well. Remember to continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world, and pray for the spread of the gospel in the lands where many people have limited opportunities to hear about the love of Jesus.
In last week's sermon, we continued our series of messages on the "I Am" statements of Jesus focusing on Jesus' statement, "I Am the way, the truth and the life." Today, we will conclude our messages on the "I Am" statements with Jesus' words in John 15:1 were He says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener."
John chapter 15 is part of what is known as the Upper Room Discourse. This a long talk that Jesus gave to His disciples on the night when He was betrayed and the sacrament of communion was instituted. I gave a series of messages a couple of years ago on the Upper Room Discourse. In my comments today, I will try not to be repetitive and bring out some other aspects of what Jesus meant when He said that He was the true vine.
As Jesus will mention if you read more of chapter 15, the role of a vine is to bear fruit. A vine is alive and sustains the fruit that is on the branches of the vine.
Jesus is the true vine. When we come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord, we are grafted in as branches on the vine. This means that we receive our life and energy through the Lord Jesus.
Before many people come to have a relationship with the Risen Lord, they are searching for something to sustain their life in a number of different places. Anyplace of anything that a person uses to bring life into them besides the Lord Jesus is a dead vine that will not produce true life.
We can only be truly alive and productive when we find our source of meaning in the person of Jesus. As we mentioned last week, all other world philosophies and movements apart from Jesus who is the true way will lead to futility. One can only find the true meaning for life, when one puts his faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
When we are grafted into the true vine of Jesus, Jesus' life and power begins to flow through us. This allows our lives to produce fruit. What is the fruit that our lives should be producing. First of all, our lives will produce the fruit that comes through acting in the way that Jesus did while He was on this earth. As we abide in the vine, and Jesus' life and power flows into us, we will become more and more like Jesus each day. We will begin to become more like Him, and we will begin to imitate Him in our actions in this world. We will do the things that Jesus did. We will reach out in love and mercy just as Jesus did. And when we do this, people will see our good works and give glory to the Father in Heaven.
Paul also mentions the type of fruit that the believer will produce when the believer abides in the true vine. Paul calls it the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 states, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control,"
When we are connected to our source in Jesus, we will show love to others. Our lives we be filled with the joy of knowing Jesus, and His peace will fill our lives causing us to share His peace with others. We will be tolerant of others, and act in a way which makes a positive difference in this world. We will strive to bring others to Jesus, and we will work to make this world a better place than what we found it to be.
Love is what Jesus was all about. He came to share His love with us. His love led Him to die on the cross and rise again. When we are truly connected to the Jesus who is the true vine, His love will flow out of us. Paul tells us what love is like in his great chapter about love found in I Corinthians 13. In I Corinthians 13:4-8, Paul states that, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
What a great passage. Jesus was like this in every way. So when we are abiding in the true vine, our lives should be like this as well.
In John 15, Jesus talks about abiding in the vine or abiding in Him. We are in Jesus and Jesus is in us when we come to saving faith. There are no human works involved. However, we need to stay in relationship with Jesus to let the fullness of His life flow through us and produce as much fruit as possible. This is what it means when it talks about abiding in Christ.
We abide in Christ by communicating with Jesus in prayer and meditation. We abide in Him through reading and following His words. We abide in Jesus when we seek to imitate Him and grow in Him,
Jesus is the true vine and the true source of abundant life because He is God come in the flesh. As the creator and sustainer of all physical life, He is the only one that can make us new and give us the new life of the Spirit. Praise be to His name.
If you have not connected to the true life that only Jesus Christ can give. I invite you to turn to Jesus today in repentance and faith and experience what true life really is.
Next week, we will begin another aspect of studying John's portrayal of the divinity of Christ. John's Gospel gives us seven signs or miracles that are intended to demonstrate that Jesus is God. We will begin studying these seven signs next week. On Monday I will post the verses, and I will post a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
I made quite a bit of progress this week on the book that I am currently working on. I am right on target to have it ready for publication in late Spring of 2016. The job is still having its ups and downs.
I would like to ask those of you who read the blog to please pray for me about a couple of things. First off, I have had a problem with the muscles in my legs since my early 20's. For the last couple of days, the pain in my legs has been intense. Please pray that this pain will abate. Also, we are expecting some very bad storms in my part of the country today. Please pray that these do not materialize.
As you are in prayer this week, please pray for the people affected by the wildfires in California. This is a terrible situation. Also, the earthquake in Chile has proven to be quite damaging. Let us pray for those folks as well. Remember to continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world, and pray for the spread of the gospel in the lands where many people have limited opportunities to hear about the love of Jesus.
In last week's sermon, we continued our series of messages on the "I Am" statements of Jesus focusing on Jesus' statement, "I Am the way, the truth and the life." Today, we will conclude our messages on the "I Am" statements with Jesus' words in John 15:1 were He says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener."
John chapter 15 is part of what is known as the Upper Room Discourse. This a long talk that Jesus gave to His disciples on the night when He was betrayed and the sacrament of communion was instituted. I gave a series of messages a couple of years ago on the Upper Room Discourse. In my comments today, I will try not to be repetitive and bring out some other aspects of what Jesus meant when He said that He was the true vine.
As Jesus will mention if you read more of chapter 15, the role of a vine is to bear fruit. A vine is alive and sustains the fruit that is on the branches of the vine.
Jesus is the true vine. When we come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord, we are grafted in as branches on the vine. This means that we receive our life and energy through the Lord Jesus.
Before many people come to have a relationship with the Risen Lord, they are searching for something to sustain their life in a number of different places. Anyplace of anything that a person uses to bring life into them besides the Lord Jesus is a dead vine that will not produce true life.
We can only be truly alive and productive when we find our source of meaning in the person of Jesus. As we mentioned last week, all other world philosophies and movements apart from Jesus who is the true way will lead to futility. One can only find the true meaning for life, when one puts his faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
When we are grafted into the true vine of Jesus, Jesus' life and power begins to flow through us. This allows our lives to produce fruit. What is the fruit that our lives should be producing. First of all, our lives will produce the fruit that comes through acting in the way that Jesus did while He was on this earth. As we abide in the vine, and Jesus' life and power flows into us, we will become more and more like Jesus each day. We will begin to become more like Him, and we will begin to imitate Him in our actions in this world. We will do the things that Jesus did. We will reach out in love and mercy just as Jesus did. And when we do this, people will see our good works and give glory to the Father in Heaven.
Paul also mentions the type of fruit that the believer will produce when the believer abides in the true vine. Paul calls it the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 states, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control,"
When we are connected to our source in Jesus, we will show love to others. Our lives we be filled with the joy of knowing Jesus, and His peace will fill our lives causing us to share His peace with others. We will be tolerant of others, and act in a way which makes a positive difference in this world. We will strive to bring others to Jesus, and we will work to make this world a better place than what we found it to be.
Love is what Jesus was all about. He came to share His love with us. His love led Him to die on the cross and rise again. When we are truly connected to the Jesus who is the true vine, His love will flow out of us. Paul tells us what love is like in his great chapter about love found in I Corinthians 13. In I Corinthians 13:4-8, Paul states that, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
What a great passage. Jesus was like this in every way. So when we are abiding in the true vine, our lives should be like this as well.
In John 15, Jesus talks about abiding in the vine or abiding in Him. We are in Jesus and Jesus is in us when we come to saving faith. There are no human works involved. However, we need to stay in relationship with Jesus to let the fullness of His life flow through us and produce as much fruit as possible. This is what it means when it talks about abiding in Christ.
We abide in Christ by communicating with Jesus in prayer and meditation. We abide in Him through reading and following His words. We abide in Jesus when we seek to imitate Him and grow in Him,
Jesus is the true vine and the true source of abundant life because He is God come in the flesh. As the creator and sustainer of all physical life, He is the only one that can make us new and give us the new life of the Spirit. Praise be to His name.
If you have not connected to the true life that only Jesus Christ can give. I invite you to turn to Jesus today in repentance and faith and experience what true life really is.
Next week, we will begin another aspect of studying John's portrayal of the divinity of Christ. John's Gospel gives us seven signs or miracles that are intended to demonstrate that Jesus is God. We will begin studying these seven signs next week. On Monday I will post the verses, and I will post a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Book Review -- Byzantine History
As some of you may know, I have a degree in history. It was my favorite subject in high school as well. Although I am not employed in the field, I still enjoy reading history books. One of the areas of history that I am particularly interested in is Byzantine history. In today's post, I would like to recommend a few of the books on the subject that I have enjoyed.
For those who are just starting out in the study of Byzantine history, the trilogy on Byzantium written by John Julius Norwich is a good place to begin. These three volumes are well-written, and they cover the whole range of Byzantine history from the time of Constantine to the final collapse of Constantinople.
The three books in this series are "Byzantium: The Early Centuries," "Byzantium: The Apogee," and "Byzantium: The Decline and Fall." By the way, this author has also written excellent histories of Venice and Sicily.
There are two books that I have enjoyed written about empresses of the Byzantine Empire. "Women in Purple" by Judith Herrin and "Theodora:Empress of Byzantium" by Paolo Cesarreti are two well-written books.
For those seeking a primary source from the period, Anna Comnena the daughter of Emperor Alexius wrote a book about her father called the "Alexiad". This is a very interesting account of life in the Empire.
One other book that I would like to mention is "Fourteen Byzantine Rulers" written by Michael Psellus.
These are just a few of the many books on this subject. If you are like me, once you begin the study of Byzantium, you will want to know more and more.
For those who are just starting out in the study of Byzantine history, the trilogy on Byzantium written by John Julius Norwich is a good place to begin. These three volumes are well-written, and they cover the whole range of Byzantine history from the time of Constantine to the final collapse of Constantinople.
The three books in this series are "Byzantium: The Early Centuries," "Byzantium: The Apogee," and "Byzantium: The Decline and Fall." By the way, this author has also written excellent histories of Venice and Sicily.
There are two books that I have enjoyed written about empresses of the Byzantine Empire. "Women in Purple" by Judith Herrin and "Theodora:Empress of Byzantium" by Paolo Cesarreti are two well-written books.
For those seeking a primary source from the period, Anna Comnena the daughter of Emperor Alexius wrote a book about her father called the "Alexiad". This is a very interesting account of life in the Empire.
One other book that I would like to mention is "Fourteen Byzantine Rulers" written by Michael Psellus.
These are just a few of the many books on this subject. If you are like me, once you begin the study of Byzantium, you will want to know more and more.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Verses For the Week -- Verses From Isaiah 55
Isaiah 55:1-2 -- "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."
Isaiah 55:6-7 - "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."
Isaiah 55:12 -- "You will go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."
Isaiah 55:6-7 - "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."
Isaiah 55:12 -- "You will go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."
Friday, September 11, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life
Thanks be to God for another opportunity to post the Weekend Sermon. I am glad to be with you this week, and I pray that all is going very well for you.
Work is going pretty well, at least it is right now. There's nothing really new to report on that front. I am very grateful to have a job. I am also thankful that I was able to make good progress on the book that I am working on. Everything is on target for publication next year.
During your prayer time this week, please pray for peace in this troubled world. Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Libya and Yemen are still facing conflict. There are also still many ongoing health crises in Africa that need our prayers.
Over the last few weeks, we have also been praying that the Gospel would reach several nations of the world where there are not very many Christians. In this regard, let us pray for Mali, Mauritania, Japan and Oman that the message of the Lord Jesus would reach people in these countries.
For the last few weeks, we have been in a series of messages looking at the "I Am" statements of Jesus. We continue with this this week as we study Jesus' statement, "I Am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
This statement of Jesus' is the statement that causes great offense to people. Many people are willing to accept Jesus as a great teacher, but when this verse is quoted, you will find that many people become angry. People in general do not want to accept the fact that Jesus is the only way. Let's look at Jesus' statement.
In this statement, Jesus says three things about Himself as the divine Son of God. First of all, Jesus says that He is the way. What does this mean? If you recall, Jesus said that there are two ways that people travel on in this life. There is a broad road that leads to destruction, and many people are walking along this path. There is also a narrow way that leads to life, and only a few find themselves on this path. Jesus is the narrow way that leads to life.
Jesus Christ is the only person who has ever lived a perfect, holy and sinless life. He lived in such a way that He is our perfect example. He demonstrated for us the way that we ought to live. Those who would live a life that is pleasing to God need to look to Jesus and emulate the things that He did. The follower of Jesus needs to ask what Jesus would do in each situation that they face in this life.
Jesus is also the way that leads to salvation. We will have more to say about this in a few moments.
Jesus also says in this statement that He is the truth. When Jesus was before the Roman official Pilate, Pilate asked Jesus what is truth without realizing that the embodiment of truth was standing right in front of him. Jesus is the truth that confronts the lie of this world's system. The lie of this world's system is that people are good in and of themselves and they can obtain favor with the God of the universe through their own efforts.
Jesus' life exposes the lie of this world for what it is. When we see Jesus, we immediately notice that our lives and actions do not measure up to His perfect life. We realize that because of this, we cannot save ourselves because we do not measure up to God's righteous standard lived out in the person of Jesus Christ.
Everything that Jesus taught and said also exposes the lies of this world. Jesus showed the true path by standing up for peace and justice in a world of violence and exploitation. Jesus preached a message of love and acceptance in a world that is filled with hate and exclusion. Jesus preached a message that said that God loves the world and wants everyone to come to Him through His Son.
Because Jesus preached the message of truth that is opposed to the value system of this world, those in this world tried to kill Him and silence His message. However, the Father demonstrated that all that Jesus said was true when Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. The resurrection demonstrates that Jesus is the truth.
Jesus also said that He is the life. The world in which we live in is dead in trespasses and sin. Those in this world are walking in darkness. They are spiritually dead. However, Jesus the Light of the world, came to shine His light and drive away the darkness. He came to give light and new life. If a person will turn to Jesus in repentance and faith, that person will become a new creation in Christ Jesus. All of the old will pass away, and everything will become new.
Jesus provides abundant life to all those who will believe in Him and follow Him in His way. You will find no better way of life than making Jesus the Lord of your life and following the Good Shepherd wherever He may lead.
Now the statement that so many despise. "No one comes to the Father except through me." In this statement, Jesus makes it perfectly clear that He is the only way of salvation. There are many religions in this world that claim to offer a path to God. Jesus said that He is the only way. Peter said the same thing in his sermon in Acts. As Peter said there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved.
One can only find forgiveness of sins and eternal life through trusting in the finished work of Christ on Calvary and believing that Jesus arose again from the dead. Trusting in Jesus Christ alone is the only means of salvation.
You cannot earn your way to salvation through doing good works. You cannot find the way to God through one of the world's other religions. Jesus said "I Am the way, the truth and the life. No comes to the Father except through me."
If you have been trusting in yourself or in some other religion to find the answers to life, I urge you to turn to Jesus today. Only the Lord Jesus provides salvation and new life. Whoever would come to Him, He will in no way cast out. Whosoever will may come to Jesus and find new life today.
Next week, we will continue our study on the "I Am" statements of Jesus. I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to have a review to post on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Work is going pretty well, at least it is right now. There's nothing really new to report on that front. I am very grateful to have a job. I am also thankful that I was able to make good progress on the book that I am working on. Everything is on target for publication next year.
During your prayer time this week, please pray for peace in this troubled world. Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Libya and Yemen are still facing conflict. There are also still many ongoing health crises in Africa that need our prayers.
Over the last few weeks, we have also been praying that the Gospel would reach several nations of the world where there are not very many Christians. In this regard, let us pray for Mali, Mauritania, Japan and Oman that the message of the Lord Jesus would reach people in these countries.
For the last few weeks, we have been in a series of messages looking at the "I Am" statements of Jesus. We continue with this this week as we study Jesus' statement, "I Am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
This statement of Jesus' is the statement that causes great offense to people. Many people are willing to accept Jesus as a great teacher, but when this verse is quoted, you will find that many people become angry. People in general do not want to accept the fact that Jesus is the only way. Let's look at Jesus' statement.
In this statement, Jesus says three things about Himself as the divine Son of God. First of all, Jesus says that He is the way. What does this mean? If you recall, Jesus said that there are two ways that people travel on in this life. There is a broad road that leads to destruction, and many people are walking along this path. There is also a narrow way that leads to life, and only a few find themselves on this path. Jesus is the narrow way that leads to life.
Jesus Christ is the only person who has ever lived a perfect, holy and sinless life. He lived in such a way that He is our perfect example. He demonstrated for us the way that we ought to live. Those who would live a life that is pleasing to God need to look to Jesus and emulate the things that He did. The follower of Jesus needs to ask what Jesus would do in each situation that they face in this life.
Jesus is also the way that leads to salvation. We will have more to say about this in a few moments.
Jesus also says in this statement that He is the truth. When Jesus was before the Roman official Pilate, Pilate asked Jesus what is truth without realizing that the embodiment of truth was standing right in front of him. Jesus is the truth that confronts the lie of this world's system. The lie of this world's system is that people are good in and of themselves and they can obtain favor with the God of the universe through their own efforts.
Jesus' life exposes the lie of this world for what it is. When we see Jesus, we immediately notice that our lives and actions do not measure up to His perfect life. We realize that because of this, we cannot save ourselves because we do not measure up to God's righteous standard lived out in the person of Jesus Christ.
Everything that Jesus taught and said also exposes the lies of this world. Jesus showed the true path by standing up for peace and justice in a world of violence and exploitation. Jesus preached a message of love and acceptance in a world that is filled with hate and exclusion. Jesus preached a message that said that God loves the world and wants everyone to come to Him through His Son.
Because Jesus preached the message of truth that is opposed to the value system of this world, those in this world tried to kill Him and silence His message. However, the Father demonstrated that all that Jesus said was true when Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. The resurrection demonstrates that Jesus is the truth.
Jesus also said that He is the life. The world in which we live in is dead in trespasses and sin. Those in this world are walking in darkness. They are spiritually dead. However, Jesus the Light of the world, came to shine His light and drive away the darkness. He came to give light and new life. If a person will turn to Jesus in repentance and faith, that person will become a new creation in Christ Jesus. All of the old will pass away, and everything will become new.
Jesus provides abundant life to all those who will believe in Him and follow Him in His way. You will find no better way of life than making Jesus the Lord of your life and following the Good Shepherd wherever He may lead.
Now the statement that so many despise. "No one comes to the Father except through me." In this statement, Jesus makes it perfectly clear that He is the only way of salvation. There are many religions in this world that claim to offer a path to God. Jesus said that He is the only way. Peter said the same thing in his sermon in Acts. As Peter said there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved.
One can only find forgiveness of sins and eternal life through trusting in the finished work of Christ on Calvary and believing that Jesus arose again from the dead. Trusting in Jesus Christ alone is the only means of salvation.
You cannot earn your way to salvation through doing good works. You cannot find the way to God through one of the world's other religions. Jesus said "I Am the way, the truth and the life. No comes to the Father except through me."
If you have been trusting in yourself or in some other religion to find the answers to life, I urge you to turn to Jesus today. Only the Lord Jesus provides salvation and new life. Whoever would come to Him, He will in no way cast out. Whosoever will may come to Jesus and find new life today.
Next week, we will continue our study on the "I Am" statements of Jesus. I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to have a review to post on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Verses For the Week -- Verses From Ezekiel
Ezekiel 1:26-28 -- "Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. The was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown.
Ezekiel 11:19 -- "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh."
Ezekiel 34:23-24 -- "I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken."
Ezekiel 11:19 -- "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh."
Ezekiel 34:23-24 -- "I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken."
Friday, September 4, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- I Am the Resurrection and the Life
Welcome to another posting of the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for joining me today. I hope that this day finds all of you well.
This has been a very busy week. Work continues to have its frustrations, but overall, the job front isn't going that badly. I was able to get quite a bit of writing done this week, and the book is progressing nicely at this point. I am still having pain in my legs, so please pray that this will improve during the upcoming week.
In prayer, let us continue to pray about the troubles that are in many parts of the world. The fires in the American West are still going, so please pray that these might be extinguished. Please continue to pray for the end of the Ebola outbreak in Africa. Continue to pray for peace in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Libya.
We have been praying for some of the nations in the world where there are few Christians. Please pray this week that the Gospel might reach Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Indonesia.
Over the last several weeks now, we have been studying the "I Am" statements of Jesus as recorded in John. Last week, we studied Jesus' saying that He was the Good Shepherd.
Today we turn our attention to John 11 where Jesus says that He is "The Resurrection and the Life." This statement by Jesus is given in the context of the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. I am not going to really focus on that account in the message today. After we finish the "I Am" sermon series, I plan to focus on the seven signs that John records that point to the divinity of Jesus. The resurrection of Lazarus is one of those signs, and I will delve more into the depths of the story at that time.
Right now, I want to just focus on the fact that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. First of all I just want to say that this passage of Scripture is my favorite passage in the entirety of the Bible. It holds great meaning for me, and it fills me with hope for the future.
The Bible makes it very clear that the reason that death has come into the world is that the world is filled with sin. Before Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, death was not a part of this world's experience. However, when Adam fell into disobedience, the Bible says that death entered into the world and death has passed upon all because all have sinned. In addition, because of the sinfulness of humanity, death has passed into the entire created order. All things die.
When Jesus came to this earth He accomplished several things. First of all, He lived a holy and sinless life. He became our perfect example as to how to live and to please God. Second, when Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for sin. Jesus bore our sins in His body as the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. His death dealt with the reality of sin itself. However, the consequences of sin had to be dealt with as well.
Sin brought death, so it was necessary for Jesus to deal with this problem. When Jesus rose again on the third day, He conquered death, hell and the grave. He had effectively dealt with the problems of both sin and its ramifications.
Now you may be saying, don't people still die? Yes, at this time they still do. However, those who are in Christ do not experience death as do those who do not believe in what Jesus has accomplished. Those who believe in Jesus, when they die, they are immediately in His presence. At the time of the resurrection of the dead at the end of the age, believers will receive a glorified body like unto Christ's glorified body. This is only possible because Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
One day, there will be no more death at all. This will occur when Jesus makes His glorious appearance at His Second Coming. When Jesus comes again, He will restore everything to the way that it existed in the Edenic state before the fall of humanity. This is the culmination of the redemptive process that began at Jesus' first coming.
Those who have not placed their trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, will not be granted the same type of existence. They will be eternally separated from God as a consequence of continuing in sin.
The fact that Jesus is the resurrection and the life should fill us with great hope. It does this for me for a very important reason. As many of you who read this blog on a regular basis know, I have lost several individuals whom I love very much over the last few years. This was a painful time filled with grief and depression. The one thing that has kept me going through the painful circumstance of losing loved ones is knowing the fact that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Those whom I have loved and lost in this live each had placed there trust in Jesus and His work of redemption through His death and resurrection. Because of what Jesus Christ has done, they are now eternally in the presence of the Savior. Death did not have the last word in their lives. They are just as much alive now as they were when I knew them on this earth.
I still miss my parents, family members and friends. It hurts to be separated from the one's that we love. But there is one thing that I hold on to with all of my being. One day, because of who Jesus is and because of what He has done, I will be reunited with all of those who have preceded me in death. If the Lord should return in my lifetime, I will see those who have gone on before when they return with Jesus when He come in triumph and great glory.
Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, we who have placed our trust in Him do not need to fear death. We will be with Him forever and forever.
Jesus could only make the statement, "I Am the resurrection and life" because he was God come in the flesh. Only God has the power to bring life from death. Jesus as God has the power to defeat death and bring triumph over the forces of sin and death and hell.
I hope that if you have not placed your faith in Jesus that you will do so today. Confess your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you. Invite Jesus into your life to be your Savior and to be your Lord. Jesus wants to have a relationship with you and He wants to grant unto you the gift of eternal life.
Jesus is the resurrection and life. Yes, He has promised those who believe life beyond the grave, but He has also promised us an abundant life in the here and now. This means that we can have a relationship with Him. We can cast our cares on Jesus and rely on Him to see us through the ups and downs of life until we stand before Him face to face in eternity.
Thank you for reading the blog this week. Next week, we will continue with our series on the "I Am" statements of Jesus. I will not be posting the verses this Monday because the library is closed for Labor Day. I will post them on Tuesday. There won't be a review this week. They will resume the following week. May God bless you all. Amen.
This has been a very busy week. Work continues to have its frustrations, but overall, the job front isn't going that badly. I was able to get quite a bit of writing done this week, and the book is progressing nicely at this point. I am still having pain in my legs, so please pray that this will improve during the upcoming week.
In prayer, let us continue to pray about the troubles that are in many parts of the world. The fires in the American West are still going, so please pray that these might be extinguished. Please continue to pray for the end of the Ebola outbreak in Africa. Continue to pray for peace in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Libya.
We have been praying for some of the nations in the world where there are few Christians. Please pray this week that the Gospel might reach Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Indonesia.
Over the last several weeks now, we have been studying the "I Am" statements of Jesus as recorded in John. Last week, we studied Jesus' saying that He was the Good Shepherd.
Today we turn our attention to John 11 where Jesus says that He is "The Resurrection and the Life." This statement by Jesus is given in the context of the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. I am not going to really focus on that account in the message today. After we finish the "I Am" sermon series, I plan to focus on the seven signs that John records that point to the divinity of Jesus. The resurrection of Lazarus is one of those signs, and I will delve more into the depths of the story at that time.
Right now, I want to just focus on the fact that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. First of all I just want to say that this passage of Scripture is my favorite passage in the entirety of the Bible. It holds great meaning for me, and it fills me with hope for the future.
The Bible makes it very clear that the reason that death has come into the world is that the world is filled with sin. Before Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, death was not a part of this world's experience. However, when Adam fell into disobedience, the Bible says that death entered into the world and death has passed upon all because all have sinned. In addition, because of the sinfulness of humanity, death has passed into the entire created order. All things die.
When Jesus came to this earth He accomplished several things. First of all, He lived a holy and sinless life. He became our perfect example as to how to live and to please God. Second, when Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for sin. Jesus bore our sins in His body as the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. His death dealt with the reality of sin itself. However, the consequences of sin had to be dealt with as well.
Sin brought death, so it was necessary for Jesus to deal with this problem. When Jesus rose again on the third day, He conquered death, hell and the grave. He had effectively dealt with the problems of both sin and its ramifications.
Now you may be saying, don't people still die? Yes, at this time they still do. However, those who are in Christ do not experience death as do those who do not believe in what Jesus has accomplished. Those who believe in Jesus, when they die, they are immediately in His presence. At the time of the resurrection of the dead at the end of the age, believers will receive a glorified body like unto Christ's glorified body. This is only possible because Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
One day, there will be no more death at all. This will occur when Jesus makes His glorious appearance at His Second Coming. When Jesus comes again, He will restore everything to the way that it existed in the Edenic state before the fall of humanity. This is the culmination of the redemptive process that began at Jesus' first coming.
Those who have not placed their trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, will not be granted the same type of existence. They will be eternally separated from God as a consequence of continuing in sin.
The fact that Jesus is the resurrection and the life should fill us with great hope. It does this for me for a very important reason. As many of you who read this blog on a regular basis know, I have lost several individuals whom I love very much over the last few years. This was a painful time filled with grief and depression. The one thing that has kept me going through the painful circumstance of losing loved ones is knowing the fact that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Those whom I have loved and lost in this live each had placed there trust in Jesus and His work of redemption through His death and resurrection. Because of what Jesus Christ has done, they are now eternally in the presence of the Savior. Death did not have the last word in their lives. They are just as much alive now as they were when I knew them on this earth.
I still miss my parents, family members and friends. It hurts to be separated from the one's that we love. But there is one thing that I hold on to with all of my being. One day, because of who Jesus is and because of what He has done, I will be reunited with all of those who have preceded me in death. If the Lord should return in my lifetime, I will see those who have gone on before when they return with Jesus when He come in triumph and great glory.
Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, we who have placed our trust in Him do not need to fear death. We will be with Him forever and forever.
Jesus could only make the statement, "I Am the resurrection and life" because he was God come in the flesh. Only God has the power to bring life from death. Jesus as God has the power to defeat death and bring triumph over the forces of sin and death and hell.
I hope that if you have not placed your faith in Jesus that you will do so today. Confess your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you. Invite Jesus into your life to be your Savior and to be your Lord. Jesus wants to have a relationship with you and He wants to grant unto you the gift of eternal life.
Jesus is the resurrection and life. Yes, He has promised those who believe life beyond the grave, but He has also promised us an abundant life in the here and now. This means that we can have a relationship with Him. We can cast our cares on Jesus and rely on Him to see us through the ups and downs of life until we stand before Him face to face in eternity.
Thank you for reading the blog this week. Next week, we will continue with our series on the "I Am" statements of Jesus. I will not be posting the verses this Monday because the library is closed for Labor Day. I will post them on Tuesday. There won't be a review this week. They will resume the following week. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Book Recommendation
Today, I am not posting a book review as such. Since we have been looking at the "I Am" statements of Jesus in the book of John in the Weekend Sermons for the last few weeks, I decided to recommend a small commentary on the book of John that I like.
"John" is a one-volume commentary written by Everett Harrison and it is published as part of the Everyman Bible Commentary Series put out by Moody Press. This little commentary is easy to read and understand no matter how well-versed someone is in Bible study. This is a good commentary series in its entirety. There is a volume for every book in the Old and New Testament, and I have found all of them to be of excellent quality.
For those looking for a good one-volume commentary on the Bible, I recommend the Wycliffe Bible Commentary. For those looking for in-depth commentary series, I would recommended the New International Commentary Series. I also like the Matthew Henry Commentary and Wesley's Notes on the New Testament.
There are also several good study Bibles on the market. I like the Nelson Study Bible the best. For a more liberal perspective, I read the Oxford Study Bible.
"John" is a one-volume commentary written by Everett Harrison and it is published as part of the Everyman Bible Commentary Series put out by Moody Press. This little commentary is easy to read and understand no matter how well-versed someone is in Bible study. This is a good commentary series in its entirety. There is a volume for every book in the Old and New Testament, and I have found all of them to be of excellent quality.
For those looking for a good one-volume commentary on the Bible, I recommend the Wycliffe Bible Commentary. For those looking for in-depth commentary series, I would recommended the New International Commentary Series. I also like the Matthew Henry Commentary and Wesley's Notes on the New Testament.
There are also several good study Bibles on the market. I like the Nelson Study Bible the best. For a more liberal perspective, I read the Oxford Study Bible.
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